EASY & ENGAGING ESL ACTIVITIES AND MINI-BOOKS FOR EVERY CLASSROOM

SCHOLASTI C

SL Activities

d Mini-Books

for Every Classroom

Terrific Teaching Tips, Ga mes, Mini-Books & More to Help New Students

From Every Nation Build Basic English Vocabulary and Feel Welcome!

By Kama Einhorn Teacher

Friends Crayons

Friends

Living in the USA

Mini-Book Chair

School Vocabulary

Concentration Game

Welcome New Student!

Collaborative Book Draw ,our««lf (or glu«

rnichelle

My Home is

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EASY & ENGAGING

ESL ACTIVITIES AND MINI-BOOKS

FOR EVERY CLASSROOM

Terrific Teaching Tips, Games, Mini-Books & More

to Help New Students From Every Nation

Build Basic English Vocabulary and Feel Welcome!

by Kama Emhom

pROFESSIONALgOOKS

New York * Toronto * London * Auckland

Sydney * Mexico City * New Delhi * Hong Kong

For Matty —

Yayablyu, in any language.

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND words and music by Woody Guthrie. TRO (c) Copyright 1956

(renewed) 1958 (renewed) 1970 Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, New York. Used by permission.

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the activity sheets from this book for classroom use. No

othei part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written

permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to

Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Edited by Louise Orlando

Cover design by Norma Ortiz

Interior design by Elizabeth Chinman

Illustrations by Cary Pillo

ISBN 0-439-15391-3

Copyright © 2001 by Kama Einhorn

All rights reserved.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Contents

INTRODUCTION 4

Terms You Should Know 4

Levels of Language Learning 5

What Is Proficiency? 5

USING THIS BOOK 6

PART i:

WELCOMING NEW STUDENTS 7

The First Few Days 7

The First Week 8

Assessing the Needs of Your Newcomers 9

National Standards 10

Easing Into English 12

Looking at Cultural Differences 16

Language Learning-CenterMaterials 17

PART 2:

MINI-BOOKS, ACTIVITIES, AND GAMES 19

Using the Mini-Books 19

Welcoming the Newcomers 20

Collaborative Book: My Name Is 21

At School 23

Reproducible: School Picture Dictionary 24

Mini-Book: At School 25

Reproducible: School Concentration Cards ... 27

ABC's 28

Mini-Book: My Alphabet Book 29

Reproducible: ABC Practice Sheet 31

Numbers and Counting 32

Mini-Book: How Many? 33

Reproducible: Numbers and Math Words 35

Reproducible: Dominoes 36

All About Me 37

Reproducible: Parts of the Body 38

Mini-Book: All About Me 39

Colors and Shapes 41

Reproducible: Colorthe Shapes 42

Mini-Book: Make a Rainbow! 43

Food 45

Reproducible: Food Concentration Cards 46

Mini-Book: Food Friends 47

Time and Date 49

Reproducible: Weekly Schedule 50

Mini-Book: Eating Around the Clock 51

Reproducible: Make a Calendar 53

Living in the USA 54

Mini-Books:

The Pledge of Allegiance 55

This Land Is Your Land 57

Reproducible: Flags 59

Additional Reproducible Pages 60

What Should I Say? 60

My Personal Dictionary 61

CLASSROOM RESOURCES 62

Newcomer Library 62

CD-ROAAS 62

Useful Web Sites 62

Professional-Development Books 63

CERTIFICATE: CONGRATULATIONS! 64

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4ei, newcomer student in I Hate English by Ellen Levine

iber of children in our schools who are TERMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

le United States is growing. Estimates Following is a list of important terms for

>m 2.5 million to 4.6 million children teachers with second-language learners. For

percent of the population), representing more information, resources, and ESL policies,

n 180 different language groups. They check with your school district, as well as your

ariety of environments in their home local and state departments of education. You

and arrive with a whole set of cultur- will also find a list of additional resources at the

d values and expectations. Most of all, end of this book (page 62).

scared and anxious about surviving in

tool with a new language. ESL (English as a Second Language) is a program

rting second-language learners in a specifically designed to teach English to non￾of fluent English speakers can seem English speakers. The goal is for learners to

ig task. How will your new students achieve greater proficiency in academic and

e English-language lessons? How will social language. ESL is also called English

;s these students? Communicate with Language Development (ELD),

families? Help the students fit into the

cially? And, most immediately, if you ESL Pull-Out Students spend most of each day in a

ire the students' first language and regular classroom. They are "pulled out" on a

't speak any English, how will you regular basis to receive special help with English

icate throughout the day? as well as additional support with understand￾jide gives you quick and easy ways ing the classroom curriculum,

e your second-language learners with

elter from the storm. Mini-books, Bilingual Education takes several different forms,

nd activities help students build a basic All are designed to help second-language

ocabulary and manage their own learners continue to develop grade-level skills

-learning experience. From the first in their first language as they acquire English.

; classroom, students will complete Bilingual educators use both the students'

tig yet achievable tasks that teach words native language and English in instruction. As

:1 to know immediately. Later on, they instructors do this, they help maintain the new

-.orize basic texts, such as "The Pledge students' self-esteem and pride in their first

mce," that their English-speaking peers language and culture. In a transitional bilingual

heart. program, students spend one to three years in a

rtig a comfortable environment for bilingual class before they are "mainstreamed"

ers who are communicating in a new into an English-only situation. In a maintenance

is a big job. Use this book as a key bilingual program, primary-language instruction

Remember, your students' language is provided throughout the elementary grades,

oy will continue to grow as they bios- so students will become thoroughly bilingual,

active, engaged learners.

i

4 Easy & Engaging EjSL Activities and Mini-Books For Every Classroom

I

Newcomer Programs serve foreign-language

students in an environment devoted solely to

the social, academic, and cultural adjustment

of new immigrants. A newcomer program is

comprised only of students who are new to the

United States; it emphasizes systematic English￾language instruction. A student typically spends

only one year in a newcomer program.

Sheltered English or Specially Designed Academic

Instruction in English (SDAIE) uses English to teach

the normal grade-level curriculum while using

second-language learning techniques that foster

academic and linguistic development.

Structured English Immersion is immersion in a

totally English-speaking environment without

native-language support or instruction. The

curriculum is taught entirely in English.

3. Speech Emergence. Students show greater inde￾pendence in this phase. They may struggle to

elaborate upon ideas, but they speak in longer

phrases and understand most of what is said.

4. Intermediate Fluency. Learners speak and com￾prehend most classroom discourse. They may

still struggle with complex grammar and

pronunciation, but they can initiate and

extend conversations comfortably. Academic

areas, such as content reading in science or

social studies, still present challenges.

WHAT IS PROFICIENCY?

There are two types of language proficiency

(Cummins, 1980). Though they often overlap,

each type involves distinct sets of skills. Second￾language learners develop both proficiencies

simultaneously, and one can enrich the other.

LEVELS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING

Second-language learners pass through four

generally recognized stages. The activities in

this book are designed for students in the

pre-production and early production phases,

but adaptations and enhancements are included

for more proficient students, too.

1. Pre-Production Phase. Learners in this phase

cannot comprehend simple words and

phrases; they lack basic English vocabulary

and knowledge of grammar. This stage is also

known as the "silent period," since learners

may appear withdrawn and shy. Though

silent, they are absorbing language all around

them and processing it in their own time.

2. Early Production Phase. Students in this phase

use basic vocabulary in one- to two-word

sentences, and begin to follow basic grammar

patterns. They may struggle in conversation,

but they are beginning to understand what

people are saying to them.

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)

is the ability of second-language students to

communicate socially with native English

speakers. Students with these skills can talk

on the telephone and in the playground, for

instance, and play group games. This proficiency

is often achieved within six months to two years

after arrival in a new country. Since language

learning is inherently social, and being able to

communicate is a prime motivator for learning a

second language, children will be especially busy

with these skills during their first year.

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) is

the ability of second-language students to learn

academic subjects in English and to handle the

language demands of the grade-level curriculum.

Students with this skill can understand and use

advanced vocabulary, follow complex written

instructions, make logical arguments, compare

and contrast, persuade, describe, summarize,

and comprehend reading in content areas. This

takes five years or more to develop fully.

• • • T

Easy & Engaging ESL Activities and Mini-Books For Every Classroom